Wire-support for electric railways



(No M0de1.)'

W. Q. PREWITT. WIRE SUPPORT FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. No. 466,800;

Patented Jan." 12, 1892.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WIRE-SUPPORT FOR ELECTRlC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Pjatent No. 466,800, dated January 12, 1892.

Application filed March 26, 1891i Serial No. 386,473. (No model.)

To all whom it may cmwern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM Q. PREWITT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lexington, county of Fayette, State of Kentucky, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in a Trolley-'lrack Hanger for an Underground Conduit for Electric Railways; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw:

ings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain new and use f n1 improvements in a trolley-track hanger for an electric conduit; and it consists of the devices and appliances hereinafter specified and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which" Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing my invention with the jointed members engaging the conductor. Fig. 2 shows said members opened to receive the conductor. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan View. Fig. at is a vertical section. Fig. 5 illustrates a modification of my invention. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section of the same. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the conductor. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the insulating-trough corresponding to the base of the conductor. Fig. 9 is a section of an underground conduit, showing my invention applied thereto.

The object of my invention is more particularly to provide a trolley-track hanger for an underground conduit for electric-railway systems having a novel electrical conductor held in place in a superior manner, which shall also be economical and simple in construction.

I carry out my invention as follows:

A A represent two clamping membersjointedly united together in any suitable manner, as shown at A said members preferably provided with laterally-extended securingflanges, through which they are engaged upon the bed.

'While I do not limit myself to any specific construction, I find it convenient to construct the adjacent edges of the members in the form customary in ordinary hinges, as shown more fully in Fig. 3.

B denotes a bed or support for said members, of any suitable material, upon which they are secured in any desired manner, asby screws, (1, passed through the members into the bed. The adjacent edges of said members are constructed with clamping-jaws a a shaped to form, when in closed position, a dovetailed channel 0. To this end one of the members may be formed with a longitudinal recess 0, of desired form, the jaw a of the other member adjacent being constructed to close up and form one side of said channel, thus allowing a conductor to be readily located in place in said channel.

D denotes my improved track or conductor, made, preferably, with a base constructed in the form of a dovetailed tenon (Lcorresponding in form to the dovetailed channel C, and with an upward extension or tread dto proj ect above the members when in place.

E represents an insulating-trough designed to engage the base of the conductor and separate it from the clamping-jaws of said members. The base of the conductor, with the insulating-trough, is located in the channel O when the jaws are open, as shown in Fig. 2. Then, by engaging the members on the bed they are brought down firmly into engagement therewith, causing the jaws to bind the conductor with great firmness. To bring down the members fiat upon the bed, I prefer to construct one of them with an elongated orifice a through which a screw 0, is run into the bed, the slot allowing the member to move into position, and when in position it is held by the screws or, above mentioned. The members may terminate at their adjacent edges, as shown in Fig. l, for example, or one of the members, as the member A, may be constructed with an extended flange A underlying the adjacent members, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. As so constructed the memberA may be firmly secured upon the bed, requiring only the further engagement of the one member A to clamp the conductor between the jaws. In this case, instead of forcing the member A downward to cause its jaw to grip the track, the outer portion of said member is forced upward to accomplish this re sult. For this purpose a screw a having a threaded engagement in the member A, is employed, one extremity bearing against the underlying member, as shown in Fig. 6. A series of such members may engage the con struction, it will be seen, forms a very solidgripping device to hold the conductor. The upperend of the conductor may be made fiat, allowing a'fla't trolley-wheel to run thereon.

F is an underground conduit, in which the trolley-track and conductor are located in any desired manner.

Instead of employing the insulating-trough E, the faces of the clamping-jaws might be enameled or insulated from the conductorin any way preferred.

\Vhile the channel 0 and the base of the conductor are shown and described as of dovetailed form,Ido not limit myself to such a form alone, as the said channel might be of any suitable form whereby a correspondinglyshaped conductor might be held therein by the clamping-jaws. It will be seen, further, that the jointed union of the two members, as shown in Fig. 2, for example, forms practically a knee-joint, whereby in bringing the twomembers into close engagement with the bed a very powerful force is exerted to clamp the conductor between the jaws.

What Iclaim as my invention is 1. In a trolley-track hanger, two membersprovided with laterally-extended securingflanges jointedly engaged with each other, said members constructed with clampingjaws and channeled to receive the conductor between said jaws, substantially as described. 2. In a trolley-track hanger, two members provided with laterally-extended securingflangesengaged with each other, said members constructed to form clamping-jaws, and with a dovetailed channel between said jaws to receive the conductor, substantially as described.

3. In a trolley-track hangenthe combination, with a bed, of two members jointedlyengaged with each other and provided with clamping-jaws channeled to receive a conductorbetween said jaws, said members forming a knee-joint and constructed to close the jaws when brought firmly into engagement with the bed, substantially as described.

4. In a trolley-track hanger, the combination, with a supporting-bed, of two members jointedly united. and engaged with said bed, said members constructed with clampingjaws and with a channel therebetween, a conduotor located in said channel engaged by said jaws and insulated therefrom, substantially as described.

5. In a trolley-track hanger, the combination, with a supporting-bed, of two members jointedly connected with each other and en'- gaged upon said bed,said members constructed with clamping-jaws and channeled to receive a conductor between said jaws, one of said members constructed with a flange underlying the other member, substantially as described.

6. In a trolleytrack hanger, two members jointedly engaged with each other and provided with clamping-jaws, one of said jaws constructed with a longitudinal recess, the other jaw constructed to close up against said recess and form in connection therewith a channel to receive a conductor, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

N. S. WRIGHT, JOHN F. liliLLER. 

